Graduate Research Assistant University of Iowa, United States
Introduction: Migraines are debilitating neurological disorders often accompanied by nausea and vomiting, reducing the effectiveness of oral medications. Triptans, first-line migraine therapy, are frequently combined with ondansetron to control nausea. Microneedle-assisted transdermal delivery offers a non-oral approach that bypasses the gastrointestinal tract, providing rapid onset, improved compliance, and comfort. This study proposes a dual-phase system using dissolvable microneedles (dMNs) for rapid release and a polymeric gel matrix for sustained delivery of triptans with ondansetron.
Learning Objectives:
Understand how microneedles improve non-oral delivery of migraine medications
Explain how polymer choice affects drug release and skin permeation
Describe why combination formulations can change drug behavior, especially for rizatriptan
